Music-leaf turner.



No. 729,834. PATENTBD JUNE z, 190s.

. W. BALKO.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 12, '1991.

MODEL.

UNrrEn STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

WILLIAM ALKo, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPEIFEATION forming part of 'Letters Patent N o. 729,834, dated June 2, 1903.

Applicantniiid December 12, 1901. serial No. 85.606. (Modem To @ZZ 1071-0711, t may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM BALKO, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Music Leaf Turner, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved music-leaf turner which is simple and durable in construction, easily set into an active position, and arranged to enable the performer to readily and periodically actuate the device for turning the leaves at the proper time and in regular order.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement as applied. Fig 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. i is an enlarged cross-section showing the actuating-wheel and parts connected therewith, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section of one of the leaf-turning arms.

The support A on a piano, organ, or other musical instrument supports leaves B to be turned by the music-leaf turner, and the said leaves to be turned are adapted to be engaged by pushers C and C', pivoted on the leaf-arms D and D', mounted to turn independently one of the other on a pivot E, held in a suitable casing F, attached to the support A in a recess at the under side thereof, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. The hubs of the leaf-arms D D' are provided with gearteeth D2 D3, adapted to successively meshv with corresponding teeth G G', formed on an actuating-wheel H, mounted to rotate loosely on a shaft H', held in the casing F. The actuating-wheel H is also provided witha gearwheel G2, in mesh with a gear-wheel I, se-

cured or formed on a barrel J, containing a spring K, fastened at one end to the rim of the barrel and at its other end to a fixed shaft L, on which the barrel J is mounted to rotate. On the top of the actuating-wheel H is arranged a ratchet-wheel N, adapted to be engaged by a spring-pawl O, secured on the casing F, to hold the actuating-wheel H against return movement, ashereinafter more fully described. The spring-pawl O is adapted to be -liftedout Yof engagement with the ratchet-wheel N by the beveled end yP of a lever P, fulcrumed at P2' on the casingF and pivotally connected by a link Q with. a pivoted ,finger-piece' R under the control of the operator, so that when the finger-piece R is pressed a swinging motion is given to the lever P to cause the beveled end P' thereof to lift the spring-pawl O out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel N, so that the actuating-wheel H can make a return movement. The lever P is pressed on by a spring P3 for normally holding the beveled end P' out of engagement with the spring-pawl O, the lever P thus holding the finger-piece R nor- `mallyin an uppermost position. The pushers C and C' have their shanks C2 formed with elongated slots C3, engaged by a pivot C4, carried on the corresponding leaf-arm D or D', so that when it is desired to use the device the operator can move the pusher Cinto a vertical position, as indicated in Figs. l, 2, and 5; but when the device is not in use the operator can swing the pusher C into a horizontal position, as indicated in dotted linesk in Fig. 5, to allow the pushers to rest on top of the support A without interfering in the least with the music-leaf placed on the support.

The device is used as follows: The leaf- -arms D and D' normally stand in a left-hand position, and after the music-leaves have been placed in position on the support A the operator first takes hold of the leaf-arm D and swings the same over into a right-hand position, and in doing so the gear-teeth D2, by meshing with the gear-teeth G, rotate the actuating-wheel H, so that the gear-wheel G2, meshing with the gear-wheel I, rotates the spring-barrel J to Wind up the spring K therein. When the leaf-arm D reaches its right-hand position, the pawl O snaps into a tooth on the ratchet-Wheel N to lock the actuating-wheel H against return movement. T-he leaf to be turned kby the pusher-arm C is now swung over into a right-hand position, and then the above-described operation is repeated relative to the other spring-arm D', so that the latter moves into a right-hand position, and in doing so its gear-teeth G impart another driving mot-ion to the actuatingwheel I-I and the spring-barrel J to further wind up the spring K. The last leaf to be turned is now swung into a right-hand position against the pusher C.

When it is desired to periodically turn the leaves, the operator at the proper time presses the finger-piece R, so that the lever P swings the pawl O out of engagement With the ratchet-wheel N to release the actuatingwheel H, whereby the gear-Wheel I of the spring-barrel J rotates the said actuating- Wheelk H in an inverse direction, and as the gear-wheel G is still in mesh with the gearteeth G3 it is evident that the arm D is swung over to the left and carries along the leaf in front of its pusher C'. As soon as the leafarm D reaches its right-hand position and moves out of mesh with the gear-teeth G the pawl O again snapsintoacorresponding tooth of tho ratchet-Wheel N, as the operator has in the meantime released the finger-piece R. When the operator again presses the fingerpiece R, the actuating-Wheel H is again released and turned from the spring-barrel J, so that the teeth G in mesh With the gear-teeth D2 impart a swinging motion to the leaf-arm D, so that its pusher G swings the other leaf over into a left-hand position. It is understood that any desired number of leaf-arms D D may be employed and connected With the actuating-wheel H, so that each leaf-arm when swung over from the left to the right winds up the spring in the barrel J, and when the leaf-arm reaches the right-hand position the pawl O snaps into a tooth in the ratchetwheel N to hold the actuating-Wheel H against return movement. As shown, each arm D D imparts a half-revolution to the actuatingwheel H, so, that the actuating-Wheel H is lprovided With only two sets of gear-teeth G G', and only tWo teeth are required on the ratchet-wheel N; but I do not limit myself to this particular arrangement, as it may be varied, it being understood that When a greater number of arms are employed the actuating-Wheel will have to be made larger and provided With as many sets of gear-teeth and as many ratchet-teeth as there are leafarms and that the sets of gear-teeth on the actuating-Wheel H will be located in different planes to successively mesh With the gearteeth on the hubs of the leaf-arms.

The device is very simple and durable in construction, is composed of comparatively few parts, andis hence not liable to get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A music-leaf turner, comprising a plurality of arms turning independently on a common axis and provided with gear-teeth on their hubs, an actuating-Wheel having sets of gear-teeth disposed in different planes to mesh successively With the gear-teeth of the turning-arms, a spring driving device geared with the actuating-Wheel and adapted to have its spring Wound up When the arms are turned to operative position, and a locking and releasing device for said parts, as set forth.

2. A music-leaf turner, comprising a plurality of arms turning independently on a common axis and provided With gear-teeth on their hubs, an actuating-Wheel having sets of gear-teeth disposed in different planes to mesh successively with the gear-teeth of said arms, a spring driving device geared with the actuating Wheel and adapted to have its spring wound up when the arms are turned to operative position, a locking device for the actuating-Wheel, and means for releasing the locking device, as set forth.

3. A music-leaf turner, comprising a plurality of arms turning independently on a common axis and provided with gear-teeth on their hubs, an actuating-Wheel having sets of gear-teeth disposed in different planes to mesh successively With the gear-teeth of said arms, a spring-drum geared with the actuating Wheel and adapted to have its spring Wound up when the arms are turned to op erative position, a pawl and ratchet for locking the parts stationary, and means for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet as set forth.

4. A music-leaf turner, comprising a plurality of arms turning independently on a common axis-and provided with gear-teeth on their hubs, an actuating-Wheel having sets of gear-teeth disposed in different planes to mesh with the gear-teeth of the said arms, and provided with a ratchet-Wheel on one face, a spring-drum mounted on a fixed shaft and geared with the actuating-wheel, a springpressed pawl engaging the ratchet-Wheel of the actuating-Wheel, and means for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet-Wheel, as set forth.

5. A music-leaf turner, comprising a plurality of arms turning independently on a common axis and provided with gear-teeth on their hubs, an actuating-Wheel having sets of gear-teeth disposed in different planes to mesh successively with the gear-teeth of the IIO said arms and provided with a ratchet-Wheel on one face, a drum mounted on a fixed shaft and geared with the actuating-Wheel, aspring within the drum and having one end secured 729,834 feg;

thereto and its other end to said shaft, a spring-pressed pawl engaging the ratchet- Wheel, a pivoted lever adapted to engage the `paWl to disengage it from the ratchet-wheel,

a finger-piece and a link connecting the finger-piece and said lever, as set forth.

6. In a music-leaf turner, the combination with a pivoted leaf-arm having an upturned end, said end being recessed, of a pusher 1o having its shank slotted and arranged in the recess of the upturned end of the arm, and a pivot carriedby said arm and engaging the slot of the pusher, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of 15 two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM BALKO. Witnesses:

THEO. G. HOSTER, vEVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL. 

